


Why You Should Never Let Balin Pick Your Books

by an_odd_ducky



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Ficlet, First Meetings, M/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-07
Updated: 2013-07-07
Packaged: 2017-12-17 22:38:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/872755
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/an_odd_ducky/pseuds/an_odd_ducky
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fili's plan to meet the cute scribe from the library goes awry.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Why You Should Never Let Balin Pick Your Books

“Prince Fili requested _all_ of these?!” Ori asked as he eyed the tower of books on the counter with an incredulous eye.

“Aye, he asked that I pick them out myself and have them sent up,” Balin nodded, smiling smugly.

Ori ran a finger down the spine of one, check the titles. “Midwifery? The prince must have quite an interest if he requested this many….”

Balin chuckled. “Oh, Fili has an interest, but I don’t think it’s in midwifery.” Then he cleared his throat quickly, before Ori could ask what he meant, and added, “Best take these up to his rooms right away, lad. It wouldn’t do to keep his highness waiting.”

* * *

 

Ori huffed an irritated breath as he stood outside Fili’s door, having knocked and received no answer. Shifting the enormous stack of books in his arms, he turned on the spot, bumping the door with his hip and letting out a relieved sigh when it creaked open a few inches. He backed into the room carefully, eager to deposit the books and get back to his work in the library, but as he turned to scan the room for an acceptable place to leave them, he was met with Fili’s face smiling at him, just barely visible over the stack in his arms. Ori let out a frightened squeak.

“Those look heavy,” Fili said, ignoring Ori’s surprise. “Can I help you with them?”

“Your highness!” Ori exclaimed, blushing. “I-I’m sorry. I didn’t hear an answer when I knocked; I thought you were out. I’ll just – I’ll just leave these here and get out of your way,” he said quickly, stumbling over his feet as he rushed to the coffee table in the middle of the room.

“Nonsense, you don’t need to apolo—“ Fili cut off abruptly when he saw the scribe nearly running to the door now that he had finished his task. “Wait! Ori!” he called, a note of panic in his voice, and Ori stopped abruptly and turned back toward him. “Your name is Ori, right?” Fili asked. Ori nodded.  

“Is there something else I can get your highness?” Ori asked, his fingers nervously toying with the sleeve of his jumper.

“Please, just call me Fili,” the prince said, giving Ori another (admittedly much more timid) smile. “Er…tea?”

“Oh! I—I didn’t bring any with me, sir, but let me run down to the kitchens and I’ll have some sent up right away!” Ori answered, and was halfway out the door when he heard the prince call his name again.

“No, I meant—“ Fili chuckled, holding up a steaming teapot Ori hadn’t noticed earlier and blushing. “I meant, would you like to stay and have tea? With me?”

“Oh…” Ori blinked in surprise. He might have declined, making his excuses about getting back to work, but Fili was already pouring a second cup for him, and it would be rude to say no now. Ducking his head, he quietly crossed the room to join Fili on the settee, sitting on the very edge of his seat and blushing when the prince handed him a teacup.

Fili was preoccupied adding a significant amount of cream and sugar to his tea, so Ori cast around for something to say to fill the silence. His eyes landed on the stack of books he had brought up from the library.

“I think it’s very admirable for men to study midwifery!” he exclaimed, a bit too enthusiastically.

Fili glanced over at Ori with a half-amused, half-puzzled look. “Uh…yes, I suppose so,” he agreed slowly and then went back to stirring his tea with a furrowed brow.

Ori cleared his throat and tried again. “How—how long have you had an interest in it?”

Fili gave him a truly confounded look at that. “I…don’t have an interest in midwifery….”

Ori’s eye widened in alarm. “You don’t? Did I bring the wrong books?” he asked in alarm. “Oh, I thought it was an odd selection, but Balin said you had requested them, and I just assumed—“

Fili placed his tea back on the table and ran a hand over his face. Ori was quite afraid he was in trouble for a moment, before he saw Fili’s smile and heard him laugh a single word under his breath: “Balin.”  

“I don’t understand….” Ori said.

Fili looked up at him with the expression of a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Ori, I have a confession to make….I don’t have any interest in midwifery.”

“Yes, you said that, and I’ll take them back right away and get the proper books,” Ori said, starting to get up, but Fili placed a warm hand on his arm.

“No, I mean, I didn’t want any books.” When Ori just blinked at him, confused, Fili ran his free hand over his face again and gave Ori an embarrassed smile. “I saw you deliver a book to Uncle Thorin yesterday, and I wanted to see you again, to meet you properly. I…I sent a note down to Balin to send you up with some books, and told him to pick the books himself, and, well….Balin has a rather nasty sense of humor.”

Ori felt his cheeks flame red and ducked his face to hide it, blinking wide-eyed at his knees. “I don’t know what to say,” he whispered. He felt the prince shift closer to him on the settee, Fili’s hand sliding down to hold Ori’s.

“Look, I know you have to get back to work soon. I wouldn’t be surprised if Balin stomped all the way up here himself to take you back. But…I was hoping…that is, if you’re interested….I thought maybe I could see you again?”

Ori cleared his throat before flitting his eyes up to shyly glance at Fili. “Of course; I’m usually the one they send to deliver books up here.” A sudden burst of bravery shot through him then, and he gave Fili a challenging look. “But you have to really want them; I won’t be bringing whole stacks up here for no reason!”

Fili had the good sense to look a hint remorseful at that, but he scooted even closer to Ori, letting their knees touch. “What if I only want one book?”

“Which book?” Ori asked breathlessly as he watched Fili rub his thumb along the back of his hand.

“I don’t know; which one is your favorite?” Fili asked smoothly, and Ori snorted out a laugh.

“Prince Fili,” Ori said with a twinkle in his eye. “You should know that a respectable scribe never reveals his favorite book until at _least_ the fourth date.”

Fili threw his head back and laughed at that, causing Ori’s stomach to flip pleasantly.

“So that’s a yes, then?” the prince asked.

“I…will think about it,” Ori answered teasingly. “But only _after_ you’ve finished reading the books I’ve already brought up!”

And Fili’s suddenly appalled face kept Ori laughing the entire walk back to the library.

 

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**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Come visit me on tumblr at an-odd-ducky.tumblr.com!


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